Nestable pyramidal flower garden unit combination



Oct. 3, 1933. H. G. STEVENS NESTABLE PYRAMIDAL FLOWER GARDEN UNIT COMBINATION Filed April 11, 1932 INVENTOR r y. G J tcvcn 5 Hal" BY A TTORNE Y Patented Oct. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES NESTABLE PYRAMmAL" FLOWER GARDEN UNIT COMBINATION Harry G. Stevens, Mentor, Ohio, assignor to H. C.

' Kirkpatrick, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application April 11, 1932.

Serial No. 604,430

6 Claims." (01. 47-39) This invention relates to an arrangement of pyramidal grouping of a plurality of unit containers for miniature gardensfand has for its objects a construction combining simplicity,

' beauty, ease of manufacture and assembly, stability in use, and suitable drainage means for each of the unit containers.

In arrangements of miniature gardens or flowerpots, it is frequently desired to associate different groups of plants forming an ensemble, but the groups having different containers, whereby different soil, different degrees of moisture and different treatment may be accorded, if desired. Arrangements for superposing such containers have usuallyrequired very expensive special constructions and frequently'require skilled workmanship in both the manufacture and the erection or assembly of the devices, with the result that they are very expensive, sometimes unstable, or possess other objectionable characteristics.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate these difficulties and others heretofore encountered, while retaining the desirable results above mentioned. 7

One of the features of this invention is that the supporting means for the upper unit containers are capable of being nested while the containers themselves may also be nested for com pact shipment. 7

Other characteristics and advantages of my pyramidal grouping of flower garden units will become apparent in the following specification which relates to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a combined side elevation and sectional view.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail through the central portion, showing the connections and mounting and the drainage unit.

Fig. 3 is a modified assembly arranged for suspension by cords and chains.

In the pyramidal arrangement shown, 10 is a container unit having a side wall and a bottom 11 and a downwardly projecting base flange 12 at the outer perimeter, while the outer surface and the bridge are suitably shaped to give an artistic appearance as shown. At the central portion of the container isa central opening through which a rod or pipe 15 may extend and at either side aredrainage openings 16. Centrally located on the bottom 11 projecting upwardly slightly'is a suitable integral flange ring 18, having notches or serrations therein, as indicated at 19 for drainage from the outside of the ring through the opening 16. This unit container 10 may be mounted on any suitable base, but it is preferably seated in a shallow earthen pan or the like 20 in the form shown. This in turn is mounted upon the drain 22 having flat top and bottom edges and preferably with an exterior in imitation of plastered rock formation or other decorative effect to suit the taste. These-parts are all preferably formed of flowerpotclay, although they may be made of various materials, including artificial stone, cement, metal, or even wood suitably treated to withstand moisture.

V Rising from the floor 11 of the container 10 is shown a conical support 25 having its lower end notched or serrated, but on the whole closely embracing theflange portion 18 while its notches or serrations indicated at 26 permit passage of moisture or water through drainage openings or notches 19'through the openings 16, and thence to the base pan 20. The next smaller unit container above, indicated at 30 is preferably generally shaped like the unit container 10, but its bottom 31 rests upon the upper end of the supporting column 25 which is held centrally with respectthereto by suitable downturned integral flange ring 32 fitting over the upper end of the column within the container, and rising from the floor or bottom 31 is a flange 38 similar to the flange 18 and centrally notched, providing for the passage of moisture to openings 36 within the area of the upper end of the hollow supporting column. I Y

The unit container 40 is likewise supported upon a similar but slightly smaller tapered hollow column 45, also notched at its lower end and fitting over and closely embracing the flange 38, while the lower sideof the container 40 has a flange 42 similar to the flange 32 and forthe same purpose, and openings 46 are shown on the upper container. I

Both containers have a central opening which may receive the pipe or tube by which the whole may be tightly clamped together and additionally secured, if desired, Thistube may be provided with drainage openings adjacent the bottoms of the containers, and in such case the openings 36 may be omitted and the tube 15 is then continued below the pan 20 to a suitable drainage outlet. If the device is used in connection with a water fountain the tube 15 may be used as a conduit. for the water. 1

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the pan 20 is provided with suitable ears or eyelets through which project the hooked ends of straps or chain links 50, which may be three orfour in number, and chains or light flexible supports 52 may support the device in the form of a miniature hanging garden.

When the device is assembled, as shown in Fig. 1, it willbe seen that each of the parts in the form shown in Fig. 1 can be manufactured by molding operation similar to that used for flower-pots, that they can thus be manufactured very cheaply, that they may be very simply and conveniently assembled, that mounted in assembled position the parts are rigidly secured together and present an effect of a pyramid superposed progressively smaller individual unit con. tainers which may be filled with earth, and which carry plants of different varieties andsubject to individual and separate treatment as to the nature of soil, amount of water, etc.

It will be noted that the tapered form of the columns and are such that the latter may be nested into the former while the unit containers 40, 30 and 10 may be placed one within the other in the order named, and even the rock imitation supporting ring. 22 may be nested around the outside of the container 10 in a very small compact package. As stated, this nesting for shipment is particularly feasible with the present invention, because of the simplicity with which the device may be assembled for use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a'miniature flower garden arrangement of the character described, the combination of a series of containers of diiferent sizes arranged progressively smaller from the bottom upwardly,

the lowermost container having a downwardly extending flange, a drip pan with flat bottom receiving said flange, the bottom of the lowermost container having an upwardly extending flange ring, a hollow tapering supporting column having its lower end fitting said flange ring, the

ment of the character described, the combination oi-a series of containers 01' different sizes arranged progressivelysmaller from the bottom upwardly, the lowermost container having a downwardly extending flange, a drip pan with flat bottom receiving said flange, the bottom of the lowermost container having an upwardly extending flange ring, a hollow tapering supporting column having its lower end fitting said flange ring, the next container having a downwardly projecting flange embracing the upper smaller end of the column, said next container having an upwardly extending flange and another supporting column embracing it and carrying still another container unit, and a'flange in the bottom portion ofthe last mentioned container unit embracing the upper end of the second supporting column, each of the containers having drainage openings within the area of the column.

3. In a miniature flower garden arrangement of the character described, the combination of a series of containers of different sizes arranged progressively" smaller from the bottom upwardly, the lowermost container having a downwardly extending flange, a drip pan with flat bottom receiving said flange, the bottom of the lowermost container having an upwardly extending flange ring, a hollow supporting column having its lower end fitting said flange ring, the next container having a downwardly projecting flange embracing the upper end of the column, said next container having an upwardly extending flange and another supporting column positioned on it and carrying still another container unit, and a flange in the bottom portion of the last mentioned container embracing the upper end of the second supporting column, each of the containers having drainage openings within the area of thecolummand central positioning and tie rod means extending through the bottoms of all of said containers.

4. In a miniature flower garden arrangement v of the character described, the combination of a seriesof containers of different sizes arranged progressively smaller from'the bottom upwardly, thelowermost container having a downwardly extending flange, a drip pan with flat bottom receiving said flange, the bottom of the lowermost container having an upwardly extending flange ring, a hollow supporting column having its lower end fitting said flange ring, the next container having a downwardly projecting flange embracing the upper end of the column, said next container having an upwardly extending flange and another supporting column positioned on it and carrying still another container unit, and a flange in the bottom portion of the last mentioned container unit embracing the upper end of the second supporting column, each of the containers having drainage openings within the area of the column and central positioning means, and a water supply conduit extending through the bottoms of all of said containers.

5. In a miniature flower garden arrangement of the character described, the combination of a series of containers of diflerent sizes arranged progressively smaller from the bottom upwardly, the lowermost container having a downwardly extending flange, a drip pan with flat bottom receiving said flange, the bottom of the lowermost container having an upwardly extending flange ring, a hollow tapering supporting column having its lower end fitting said flange ring, the next container having a downwardly projecting flange embracing the upper smaller end of the column, said next container having an upwardly extending flange and another supporting column embracing and carrying still another container unit, and a flange in the bottom portion of the last mentioned container unit embracing the upper end of the second supporting column, each of the containers having drainage openings within the area of the column, an imitation rock formation in the nature of a hollow ring having its upper and lower surfaces substantially flat and supporting the said drip pan.

6. In a miniature flower garden arrangement of the character described, the combination of a series of containers of different sizes arranged progressively smaller from the bottom upwardly, the lowermost container having a downwardly extending flange, a drip pan with flat bottom receiving said flange, the bottom of the lowermost container having an upwardly extending flange ring, a hollow tapering supporting column having its lower end fitting said flange ring, the next container having a downwardly projecting flange embracing the upper smaller end of the column, said next container having an upwardly extending flange and another supporting column'embracing it and carrying still another container unit, and a flange in the bottom portion of the last mentioned container unit embracing the upper end of the second supporting column, each of the containers having drainage openings within* the area of the column, a central positioning and tie rod means extending through the bottoms of all of said containers, means supporting a drip pan substantially horizontally, whereby the bottom container forms a support through the supporting column for the containers.

HARRY G. STEVENS. 

